1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to electrical equipment and, more particularly, is concerned with a terminal screw with impeller wire gripping elements for use in an electrical receptacle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, some electrical receptacles manufactured and marketed by Hubbell Incorporated of Orange, Conn., the assignee of the subject application, have employed a receptacle body with plug terminal contact receiving openings formed on its front side, a base body which mates with the receptacle body, a plurality of contact terminal assemblies fitted with cavities in the receptacle and base bodies, and an U-shaped mounting bridge provided with a base portion positioned adjacent a rear face of the base body and a pair of opposite leg portions extending forwardly from opposite ends of the base portion along opposite ends of the base and receptacle bodies, securing the receptacle and base bodies together in a mated relationship and capturing the contact terminal assemblies therein. The mounting bridge also has mounting tabs attached to the opposite leg portions and extending outwardly therefrom in opposite directions with holes on the mounting tabs for fastening the electrical receptacle to an external structure, such as a building wall, by the use of screws inserted through the holes and threaded into the structure.
While the above-described electrical receptacle has functioned satisfactorily under the range of conditions for which it was designed, as with any product certain drawbacks have been noted from time to time. One drawback particularly concerns the terminal screws used in the side wiring contact terminal assemblies. Side wiring is where the wire end is inserted from a side of the receptacle and partially around the terminal screw and then the screw is tightened against the wire. The prior art screw has a shank with a head thereon with a relatively smooth underside which in applying pressure on the wire end has the tendency to cause the wire to move away from the shank of the screw and thereby reduce the effectiveness of the electrical connection therewith.
Consequently, the inventors herein have perceived a need to provide further innovations which will overcome the above noted drawback.